Stars including Judd Apatow and Niall Horan have paid tribute to Eagles founder Glenn Frey, who died yesterday aged 67.

The guitarist passed away due to rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis, and pneumonia, at the age of 67. His group are renowned for hits including Take It Easy and Tequila Sunrise, with many celebrities taking to Twitter to speak of their shock at his death.

"So sad about Glenn Frey. I used to listen to his solo record No Fun Aloud as a kid and it made me so happy," movie director Judd wrote. He also commented on what a devastating month it's been for music, following the loss of David Bowie on 10 January (16), writing: "I don't think I can handle the loss of any more of my rock n roll heroes."

Proving The Eagles still have broad appeal, many young stars also spoke about the loss of Glenn. Among them was One Direction star Niall Horan, who decided to listen to some of the group's tracks in the guitarist's honour.

""These cloudy days, make you wanna cry. It breaks your heart when someone leaves and you don't know why " Glenn Frey," he wrote on the social media site. "Glenn Frey /eagles on repeat tonight !"

Eagles star Don Henley has paid tribute to his late bandmate, calling the guitarist "the man with the plan" in a heartfelt statement.

"We were family, and like most families, there was some dysfunction," Don writes. "But, the bond we forged 45 years ago was never broken, even during the 14 years that the Eagles were dissolved.

"We were two young men who made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles with the same dream: to make our mark in the music industry - and with perseverance, a deep love of music, our alliance with other great musicians and our manager, Irving Azoff, we built something that has lasted longer than anyone could have dreamed."

Henley adds, "Glenn was the one who started it all. He was the spark plug, the man with the plan. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a work ethic that wouldn't quit. He was funny, bullheaded, mercurial, generous, deeply talented and driven. He loved is wife and kids more than anything.

"We are all in a state of shock, disbelief and profound sorrow. We brought our two-year History of the Eagles Tour to a triumphant close at the end of July and now he is gone. I'm not sure I believe in fate, but I know that crossing paths with Glenn Lewis Frey in 1970 changed my life forever, and it eventually had an impact on the lives of millions of other people all over the planet."

Henley concludes his heartbreaking tribute, by writing, "It will be very strange going forward in a world without him in it. But, I will be grateful, every day, that he was in my life. Rest in peace, my brother. You did what you set out to do, and then some.

Justin Timberlake is also feeling the loss, revealing he grew up on the rocker's music: "My Mom used to play Eagles records for me on my way to grade school. We lost one of the greatest songwriters ever today... #RIPGlennFrey."

Nancy Sinatra added a picture of Glenn to Twitter and appeared to be in shock as she penned a tribute: "Oh, God, I hope Glenn Frey's passing was painfree (sic) and peaceful. He gave so much to the world. Gone way too soon."

Also stunned was US singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge, who like Judd is struggling to come to terms with the loss of another musician so soon after Bowie's death. "Too soon to be mourning another Rock and Roll loss. #GlennFrey A first class singer songwriter. He will be missed. #TheEaglesBand," she wrote.

Kiss rocker Gene Simmons simply used Twitter to send his heartfelt "condolences" to Glenn's friends and family, while Jamie Lee Curtis showed how much The Eagles meant to her with the remark: "The lights are dimmed at The Hotel California. Thanks for the soundtrack to my youth.

RIP GlennFrey #musicofmygeneration."

The group's co-founder Don Henley paid tribute to Glenn shortly after he passed away, while the band's manager Irving Azoff has claimed medication was partly to blame for his death.

"The colitis and pneumonia were side effects from all the meds," Irving told TheWrap.com. "He died from complications of ulcer and colitis after being treated with drugs for his rheumatoid arthritis which he had for over 15 years.

Frey, 67, died of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia on Monday in New York, after fighting the ailments for several weeks.

"Words can neither describe our sorrow, nor our love and respect for all that he has given to us, his family, the music community & millions of fans worldwide," a statement on the band's website said.

Frey's health problems, including diverticulitis, dated to the 1980s. He blamed in part his years of "burgers and beer and blow and broads" and later became a fitness advocate.

Guitarist Frey and drummer Henley formed the Eagles in Los Angeles in the early 1970s, along with guitarist Bernie Leadon and bassist Randy Meisner.

They embodied for many listeners the melodic Los Angeles sound despite having no native Californians in the group. Critics often dismissed them as slick and unadventurous, but their blend of mellow ballads and macho rockers gave them broad appeal.

An Eagles greatest-hits collection and Hotel California, both released in the 1970s, have sold more than 20 million copies each and are among the best-selling albums of modern times. The band's total album sales top 100 million.

The Eagles' many hit singles include The Best Of My Love, Desperado and One Of These Nights. The impulsive Frey and the more cerebral Henley shared songwriting and singing duties, with Frey's drawling tenor featured on Heartache Tonight, Already Gone and the group's breakthrough hit, Take It Easy.

Henley said crossing paths with Frey in 1970 "changed my life forever, and it eventually had an impact on the lives of millions of other people all over the planet".

Their popularity outlasted their breakup in 1980 and the 14-year hiatus that followed. Their records remained consistent sellers, and they were a successful touring act over the last 20 years even though Frey and Henley were the only remaining original members.

They were joined on stage by guitarist Joe Walsh, who replaced Leadon in the mid-1970s, and bassist Timothy B Schmit, who stepped in after Meisner quit in 1977. Guitarist Don Felder was added in 1974 but was fired in 2001 amid disputes over money.

Frey had success as a solo artist, with songs including The One You Love and You Belong To The City, and careers in films and television. He appeared on episodes of Miami Vice and Nash Bridges, both featuring his friend Don Johnson, and appeared in the film Jerry McGuire, directed by Cameron Crowe, who befriended him after he interviewed the Eagles for Rolling Stone magazine in the 1970s.

The Heat Is On was a hit from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, and Smuggler's Blues inspired a Miami Vice episode.

Frey, known for his oversized jaw, big grin and wavy dark hair, loved music, girls and the rock 'n' roll life. He was playing in bands as a teenager, with fellow Detroit musician Bob Seger among his early friends, and met Henley, Meisner and Leadon while they were all trying to make it in the LA music scene. For a time the four backed Linda Ronstadt.

The bandmates harmonised memorably on stage and on record but fought often otherwise. The group's initial breakup in 1980 happened after Felder and Frey nearly came to blows after a concert in California.

Frey and Henley also became estranged for years, their breach a key reason the band stayed apart in the 1980s. Henley had vowed the Eagles would reunite only when "hell freezes over," which became the name of the 1994 album they had never imagined making.

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